My First Hypnobabies Birth (as a hypno-doula)

Rebirth Blog is having a birth carnival and the next entry is First Births.  I realized I never posted my first birth as a doula.  So here it is! 

My first Hypnobabies Student

Callie took my first Hypnobabies class I taught and her birth was great.  Many of the births I attend as a Hypno-doula are this fast and easy.   Which is nice for mom and me!

Callie called around 10:45 and asked what I was doing this morning.  She is so cute.  I told her I would get childcare arranged and asked her to call me when she knew if she was staying or not.  I quick hopped in the shower… note to self, shower first thing every day when you have an expecting mom.  I got stuff arranged for the boys and nursed Bryson.  Frankly nursing Bryson has been my biggest concern regarding going to births… I think after Jenn’s birth I will not do another one until he is weaned…

Getting to the hospital as a birth doula

Sam called around 11:30 and said it was a go, she was at 4 cm.  I got to the hospital around 11:50 (quick detour to McDonalds  because I didn’t know when I could eat next).  Callie was resting calmly on the bed, with her parents, Sam and their son Nick (2 ½) hanging out.  Whenever she had a pressure wave, everyone got quiet and let her relax through it.  The relaxation music was on in the background.  She was very chatty between pressure waves.  They seemed to be coming every 5 minutes or so.  She wanted to have the baby between 3-5 because that is when her Dr was available.   I wondered at first if she was being too optimistic with the times, but said nothing, just smiled and said, the baby will come when it is the right time. 

Around 12:45 Callie seemed to be a little more intense during her pressure waves, I was doing the relax cue, which helped.  We talked about going to the potty soon and the Grandparents were going to take Nick over to the mall to walk around.  Just then the other set of Grandparents arrived, at first it seemed like they wanted to stay, but I could tell Callie was ready to be alone, so we convinced them to go to the mall to. 

Finally at 1 the grandparents and Nick headed off and I got Callie on the potty.  She had a nice pressure wave there and said, “Wow, it really opens up on here.”  She then wanted to sit on the birth ball, so we got her situated and comfortable.  The nurse came into get the monitors on.  She was very sweet and got the telemetric unit so she could walk around, by then, I knew we were not going to be needing to walk around at all. 

Callie started crying because it was so beautiful and she felt so calm and happy!

10 minutes into the monitoring Callie started crying during a pressure wave, she didn’t even realize she was crying until after the wave.  She said she was crying because it was so beautiful and she had been so scared during Nick’s birth and was so calm and happy now.  I thought… AHH, transformation is starting. 

20 minutes of monitoring, with a lot the nurse holding the heart one on the right spot, VERY low on the tummy.  We had put the Easy First Stage Guide on for the room to hear and Callie was doing great, and was starting to AHHH during the pressure waves.  She was able to relax and was staying relaxed and focused between pressure waves.    She asked to get checked after the monitoring was done. 

1:20  She laid on the bed and had a BAD pressure wave, she couldn’t relax in that position (flat on her back), but was checked and was a stretchy 8, so we got her back on the ball and she was fine with the pressure waves there.

What a fast and easy birth with Hypnobabies!

1:30, feeling pushy and making pushy sounds…. She gets back on the bed and gets checked, just a little lip left.  We say open, open, open through a pressure wave.  They get the bed set up.  Check again…. Ready to push.   I tell Sam to change the CD to pushing the baby out tract. 

She pushes her own way… no coaching and is doing great.   She gets a little scared and starts having discomfort.  She begs me, help me get back on top of it.  I try counting her down and talk about the anesthesia in front of the babies head.  Tell her to push how it feels right.  Then she screams and pushes, not comfortable for her any more… but is able to relax between pushes and the next push the baby crowns.

I told her the baby was almost out and she could do it.  Sam is at her head to, holding her hands as she screams and pushes.  She screams…”Come OUUUUUUUUT baby, come OUUUUUT”   It is awesome, the OB tells her how great she is doing, we are all quietly cheering her on.   

Then the baby comes out…. It is a girl (Callie knew what it was, but kept it a secret from everyone else)  It is 1:40.  7 pounds 1 oz.    Callie is thrilled and gets to hold her right away and baby is great.  Sam is crying a few tears of joy and I am in awe that I get to share this special moment with them.  How incredible for me.  🙂

Then Sam, holding his baby girl called the grandparents, who had left 1 hour ago…. “You might want to come back over now…. and on cue the baby starts to cry….. and meet your new grandbaby.  They get back over after Callie is changed and nursing the baby.  Perfect timing and Nick is in awe of the baby.  It is SOOOOO sweet.  It makes me want another baby. 

I left around 2:15, because with 4 grandparents, Nick, Sam, Callie and the baby the room was a bit full.   

The baby was born about 2 hours after I get to the hospital.  This was the perfect first birth for me to attend, especially with a nursing baby of my own.